Yesterday afternoon, the scaremongers who had predicted the demise of Scottish football in the wake of the collapse of Rangers were feeling pretty smug.

Heart of Midlothian, one of Scotland’s great clubs, were reduced to pleading with fans to invest cash and buy tickets. Unless they raise almost £450,000, Hearts could follow Rangers into liquidation within weeks.

The knock-on effect of Rangers’ demotion to the fourth tier of the game has hurt Scottish football and stripped the nation of its most explosive and marketable match, the Old Firm game. Many observers felt that Glasgow’s big two were the Siamese twins